The Bewitching Hour
by xXAi no Jibaku SouchiXx
Summary: Hermione's in the past and she meets up with, who else? The Marauders! This story is a HGRL shipper, with a little of HGJP and HGHP. I have a co-author, it was not stolen I swear! :  my coauthor is hiei is MYNE
1. Chapter 1

The Bewitching Hour…

Hermione and Harry were at The Burrow in Harry's room having a fight, both were standing facing each other. Harry was telling her about his plans to leave. Hermione got upset and defensive. She tried to stop him, but he was set on leaving.

"Harry! I'm not saying that! Will you just stop and li-"she was cut off.

"No! Hermione it won't stop so I need to leave, now! It's for your own good!" he said throwing his belongings in his trunk.

"Harry when we said we would stay with you we meant it! We won't let you come to any harm!" she cried, tears in her eyes.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, without you guys, to Godrick's Hollow. I won't let you guys get hurt." he had locked his trunk and was now placing it in front of his bed so he could grab it tomorrow.

"Harry, we love you. Please don't do this." She pleaded. She was on the floor now crying.

"Hermione please don't do this, I need to leave this is my problem not yours." He kneeled down and embraced her.

"I won't go now then, will that make you happy?" he said she looked up at him and mustered a meek smile.

"Harry, please stay or let us go with you." He stood up.

"Hermione, I think you should go to bed now, it's really late and Mrs. Weasley would kill us knowing you were in here, again." He bent down and picked her up. She turned and faced him. He wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Go get some sleep okay? And don't worry about me. I'll stay. Goodnight." He kissed her on her forehead. She smiled and left to go to her own room. She had to go to bed soon because tomorrow was there trip to Kings Cross.

The next morning was chaotic. But when they finally got there everyone was now calm and emotional. Finally, when all the hugs and kisses were exchanged, they were all on the train. Hermione and Ginny were sitting on one side and Ron and Harry on the other. It was their seventh year, Ginny's sixth. The train ride went by fast especially since it was indeed their last ride to Hogwarts. They watched the sorting for the last time. It was kind of depressing. Hermione was especially upset and it was not good, only their second day and already Hermione had gotten into five fights with Ron and three with Harry. It was distressing so she decided she would cool down and went walking. As she walked she tried to clear her head. But that was a difficult task everywhere she went there was some sort of commotion. Even the library was loud. She ended up just walking around willing herself to find a suitable place to be alone. She had the overwhelming feeling that she needed to be somewhere else, comfortable, stress-free environment whose air was not filled with such tension. As she walked she stumbled across the Room of Requirement. Perfect she mumbled as she grasped the handle. She turned it slowly and opened the door. She walked inside. There was a chair and sofa in front of a fire place perfect for what she wanted. She sat down and started to think. She went to close her eyes but she saw a second door.

"What the hell?" she said as she got up and crossed the room and looked at the door. Is there supposed to be a second door? She thought. Was it to another room? There was never a second door when her and Harry used it. Nor was there one when she used it. Now that she thought about it, there wasn't one when they were doing the DA. So why was it only now that it appears? Should I open it? No this room has many things unknown about it. What if it is a portal or something? That's ridiculous though. Dumbledore would have told us if it was. I'll just ignore it. She sat down once again. She closed her eyes and relaxed. The sight off the door flashed beneath her closed eyelids. Ugh this is ridiculous. She thought. She sat up and walked over to the door. She grabbed the knob and turned.

Lupin's P.O.V.

Remus was watching his two best friends wrestle on the floor. It had not been started by an argument, but just for the fun of it. James went to grab Sirius' arm but grabbed only air. He collided with the small couch Remus was occupying. The book he had long abandoned had landed with a loud thud. James jumped up and lunged at Sirius and caught him by surprise. Within seconds Sirius was on the ground, pinned by James.

"I can't even read three sentences without being disrupted." Said Remus in a mock-angry tone.

"Sorry Moony, but James just wouldn't shut up about You-Know-Who…" Sirius said, giving him a cheeky grin James punched him in the arm.

"Oh really James, just leave her alone and she'll notice how you've "matured" Stated Remus. James looked lost in thought for about three seconds until Sirius literally knocked him out of it. Hitting him hard in the side, Sirius laughed.

"Wrestling isn't mature, if that's what you mean Moony!" James holding his sides complained.

"Ouch, that hurt."

"Sorry Jamie boy." Teased Sirius. Remus just stood up and left the common room. He began walking up random corridors, trying desperately to entertain himself.

"I need somewhere comfortable…" he said to himself. The Room of Requirement! He quickly but quietly made his way towards the Room of requirement. He paced the Wall three times. The door appeared and he walked in. Cozy. He thought. It had a small couch and I kindling fire. He stretched out upon the couch and started to read. As he looked at the title of the chapter he was on over the book he saw a door. Is that supposed to be there? He asked himself. He wasted no time in trying to find out what it was, or where it led to. He crossed the room and grabbed the door handle. It wouldn't turn. It felt as thought there was someone else trying to open it. He let go and stepped back, waiting for the other person to open it first. He watched the knob, it turned and slowly the door opened. In the door way stood a teenage girl, with curly brown hair. She was wearing long sleeve v neck olive green shirt with a white tank top peeking out from the neckline with beige drawstring pants.

Hermione's P.O.V.

Hermione turned the knob but it wouldn't move. She tried to turn it again and it opened. She cautiously opened the door. She gave a small gasp. There was a tall teenage boy, dirty blond hair and in a Gryffindor Uniform. It was Remus Lupin, at age seventeen.

"Hello." He said quite calmly. She just stood there in shock, her mind reeling. Is this possible? She thought. Had she gone back in time? How? Well now I have to deal with the present, but I can't tell him "Oh yeah I'm from 20 years into the future." She needed an excuse, now.

"Hi, I'm Her- Emily Chanliere. I'm a, transfer student from Beauxbatons. I'm looking for Dumbledore." She said she hoped to Merlin he believed her. He looked at her for a second and then took a step back.

"Why are you here so late?" he asked. She responded instantly.

"Dumbledore set up a portkey for me and I came from Beauxbatons, we're in a different time zone." He seemed to believe her. He turned.

"I'll take you there now then." She followed him out into the hall. Dumbledore had been the first person she could think of. He was so smart and "all knowing" he must know what to do. He had told her once he had a mix up with time once, he would understand. They were going right towards the big Gargoyles.

"Acid Pops" Remus said.

"How do you know the password?" Hermione asked openly.

"I'm a Prefect." He answered as the stairs ascended upwards.

"Come in." She heard a voice say inside. Remus opened the door. And Hermione stepped inside.

"Hello Miss Chanlier, I'm glad you could make it. Remus, thank you for escorting her here you may go now." He said to Remus. Remus nodded his head and walked out, closing the door behind him. Hermione was so confused she just sat down in a chair.

"Well Miss Granger. You're probably wondering what your doing here, and how you got here." He said. She was right he knew everything.

Lupin's P.O.V.

As Remus walked back to his companions in the common room he took a few moments to think about what just happened. 'That was interesting,' he thought to himself,' why was a young, attractive, student from Beauxbatons arriving here by Port Key? Why a Port Key? Why not just arrive here by flu powder or apparation?' He now realized that he was in front of the common room door. He said the password, 'scarlet ibis' and the portrait hole swung open, inviting him into the warm room compared to the cold chill of the corridors. Sirius waved enthusiastically while on top of James.

"I swear if I walk into another scene like this I'm moving three beds down from you guys. Last time I checked Sirius's nickname was not 'Lily'." He said as he sat down in a squishy armed chair.

"Aw don't be like that Moony. You know I love Lily." James replied as he struggled from underneath Sirius to get up. "We're going to have a kid some day. Hmmm… Ronald, eh Harry-No! James. Wait I got it. Harry James Potter!"

"Why would you name him Harry? You should name after the greatest, most brilliant wizard in Britain!" Sirius declared majestically, standing on the couch in imitation of a great statue.

James threw him an incredulous look.

"And who might that be?"

"Why, I should think it's rather obvious. Me, of course. Just you wait. In 10 or so years, I'll be the greatest wizard ever known, mentioned in newspapers worldwide and respected by every wizard!" Sirius told him with an arrogant grin.

"What ever you say Sirius. I've got to catch up with Evans and see if she'll help me on this bloody potions essay." He yawned.

As much as Remus liked helping James with his homework he just wasn't in the mood tonight. The thought of that mysterious girl bugged him deeply. Lupin picked up his abandoned book and began to read. After a while he lost interest and decided to tell them about the strange and striking girl he had met by in the room of requirement. Why would either of them be asleep at 2 0'clock in the morning? That would actually make sense.

Hermione's P.O.V.

"Well Ms. Granger I suppose you would like to know your schedule?" Dumbledore said with a hint of a smile playing upon his face.

"Am I actually staying here, in this time period? I mean what if I disrupt the balance of time? Shouldn't I be heading back? Harry and Ron will be dreadfully worried about me…" She rambled. To her ears it sounded vaguely familiar like something Luna Lovegood would say.

"Ms. Granger, I trust you know how to behave yourself. As long as your arrival from a different time period stays a secret and you do not draw too much attention to yourself I'm sure everything will be fine." Dumbledore replied confidently.

"O-okay. That would make sense." She said to herself. Her word being the conclusion of the discussion she was sent off to bed. She had been informed that there was already a bed waiting for her and would be marked with her 'name'. Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor common room.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione walked down the hall with a bit less confidence than usual. It was Hogwarts but it wasn't Hogwarts, at least not the one that she had known. As she passed, pictures she did not recognize stared at her strangely, or some even called out but most were asleep. At least one thing hadn't changed. She still knew her way to the common room. Hermione stopped abruptly at the painting of the fat lady, hearing a loud, mischievous laughter and… a voice. For a moment she thought it had been Harry but no, it couldn't be. That must mean… Realization suddenly dawned. "Oh god." Hermione said quietly. Then again, "Oh my God." A bit louder this time, but not yet fully voicing the limits of her distress. She was going to meet James Potter, her best friend's dead father, Harry's dad. This wasn't right. No. It couldn't be. Hermione didn't know if she could take it, seeing a ghost, most literally from the past. Her knees felt weak and all the blood rushed to her head as she started to panic. She felt as if she would faint but then-

"My, you seem to enjoying yourself here in the corridor. Are you going to go in or not? A painting needs to sleep too, you know." The fat lady said with a rather annoyed tone. Hermione, slightly flushed, gave the fat lady a sharp glance. Hermione whispered, "Scarlet Ibis." And the portrait whole swung open to reveal a scene of… quiet and peace. Only a lone boy leaned against the red leather couch, reading a large volume. From a distance, Hermione thought she could spy the words 'Hogwarts A History'. The boy looked up from his book at the creek from the portrait and with a look of surprise and interest greeted the still confounded Hermione. Then he noticed the reddish flush of her cheeks and asked quietly.

"Are you alright Miss Chanlier?"

"Please, call me Emily. No need for formality. And I'm fine." She smiled. After the little exchange there was an awkward silence for neither of them were conversation-ists. Finally,

"Do you enjoy reading, Emily?" Remus Lupin inquired to break the odd setting of the room. Of course this was the right thing to ask. She replied with a simple but meaningful "Yes." This of course sparked a whole discussion that could easily carry on for hours. It would have, had not James and Sirius came down the stairs, drunken with laughter. All she heard was "What's a Mormon?"(no offense to Mormons!) after which ensued a fit of snickering. Both stopped short when they spotted Hermione. Their countenance immediately changed. Sirius strutted down the remaining stairs with James following close behind. The raven haired teen stood in front of Hermione and made a very formal looking bow, extending his hand in courtesy, while simultaneously struggling to conceal his laughter.

"My Lady," He declared. Sirius remained in a bow but his blue-grey eyes moved up to meet hers, "And who might you be?"

"Emily Chanlier. I'm a transfer student from Beauxbatons." She answered with amusement. Remus prodded the still bowing Sirius with his foot.

"Stand up." He ordered. Sirius stood up slowly, gazes still locked. She absently noticed the figure that stood quietly behind him, waiting to introduce himself. She mouthed an 'Oh' and went rigid. A wow of general amazement escaped her lips. The only thing that registered in her mind let alone vision was that she was now looking at James Potter, in the flesh. What Hermione did not realize was that she was blatantly staring. The resemblance really was striking. It was just as everyone who had ever known James had said. They really did look like twins. She had always heard it and even seen pictures but this was just too much Sirius mumbled something about two other handsome gentlemen in the room but Hermione didn't catch on.

"Emily. Emily… Em-"Remus said politefully yet forcefully. You could tell he was a bit annoyed. 'Oh. That's my name, huh?' Hermione thought. She ripped her gaze from the now smiling James and looked at Remus.

"Have your… sleeping quarters been arranged already? Or…" Asked Remus, reverting to a formal mode for he did not yet now what to make of the situation.

"Or do you need… pillows and blankets?" Sirius interrupted with a dramatic swish of his head (which Hermione found quite comical actually). She swallowed back a giggle.

"Why, yes they have. I have a bed pre-made in the girl's dormitory. I think… it's about time I go to sleep now. It _has_ been a long night." She glanced at the three friends.

"I'm glad I met all of you." Hermione said with a knowing smile. As she left the common room Remus threw both boys a look that said 'Discuss'. She was halfway up the stairs when James called.

"Emily, wait!" The note of urgency almost made it sound important.

"What is it?" she called back down and slowly descended a few steps.

"What _is _a Mormon?" The random stupidity of the question caught Hermione off guard for a second.

"It's a religion."

"Wait. So it's _not_ a rare Armenian breed of flobberworm?"

"What in the world gave you that idea?"

"Ummm…" An exclamation of pain could be heard from Sirius.

"Oh." She continued walking up the stairs with a hint of a smile playing on her face. Hermione heard a muffled giggle come from under a door as she passed it, must not be too late she said. She walked down the hall and opened the 4th door on her left, the one Dumbledore told her to access. She walked in and her eyes quickly took the room in. they were different from her time and that was only a minor thing, though big enough to stand out. There were four big beds with hangings of bright crimson, held back with thick golden rope. The bed in the far left corner was hers, she knew because it was mad and empty. She swept across the room, making sure not to disturb her roomies. She glanced at them though, each in turn, wondering what they were going to be like. She saw a trunk at the end of her bed and opened it cautiously. It gave a small creak of protest but opened smoothly. There was a stack of cloaks to one side and uniforms on the other. Under these were day clothes, about two days worth. She closed it and made her way around the bed. Going to have to make a trip down to Hogsmeade for clothes. She thought bleakly to herself. She seldom went shopping. There was a bay window near her bed and had small pillows arranged orderly in one of its corners. One was a deep sapphire with gold swirls on it, the other was a purple and green paisley covered circular pillow. Cozy she thought slightly. She went to her bed and saw a bedside stand. It was fairly big and had three drawers, each getting bigger as it neared the bottom. They were empty and she realized that meant more shopping. Needed her "personal items", toothbrush hair brush perfume, etc. Finally she was at her bed. It had a comfortable feather down comforter that was a pal angelic gold color and white sheets, though they seemed to have a creamy color to them, she'd find out in the morning. After a thorough assessment of the room, she finally laid in the unfamiliar bed and started to feel a weird sensation. It took her a few minutes to realize this feeling. She missed Harry and Ron. A lot. Would she ever see them again? Were they now missing her? Would those angered words she had yelled be the last words she would ever to speak to her two best friends? Probably not. Hermione had no doubt of Dumbledore's abilities. He would get her back somehow. She was still a bit dumbstruck about her meeting with the marauders. It all seemed like a dream although she knew better. Hermione pinched her skin just in case. The pain was a welcome distraction. Eventually she was overtaken by a temporary respite, sleep.

The following morning she had awakened, and for a few brief moments, hadn't known where she was. It shook her awake though. Almost literally. She went through the trunk and looked at her options. It was a weekend, Saturday, Dumbledore had told her. There was a white light weight cotton poncho with a beige tank top to put under it. And a pair of dark wash pants that she later found out to be quite snug and screamed 70s with a small flair to the bottom. The other choice was a dark red t shirt with a boat neck and a short jean skirt which had a pair of leggings that were gunmetal grey. She preferred the first choice. Hermione then went into the bathroom and brushed out her hair until it curled lightly and pulled it into a ponytail. As she left the bathroom she saw that the two other girls she shared the room with were up and about, talking animatedly to each other about their plans this weekend. Apparently there was a planned trip to Hogsmeade. They slowed their conversation when they saw her

"So you're the unknown visitor who showed in the night." The one said that slept next to her. She had long pale brown hair and was relatively tall as she leaned to fix her sequined belt that was a bright turquoise. She could have sworn Parvarti had a matching belt at home. The other that slept across from her was petite and had a jagged haircut and her hair was ruby red with natural dark red highlights. She smiled kindly to them both and nodded.

"My name's Candis." The one with brown hair said as she leaned over to shake her hand. She replied promptly. The one with red hair was wearing a black dress and flip flops.

"Mine's Betty." She waved since she was on the other side of the room. Candis had finished adjusting her white halter top and was now leaving the room. It had been over 12 hours since she had last eaten and her stomach voiced its unease with a bout of growling. The common room was semi-crowded due to Hogsmeade and it _was_ the weekend… she went into the common room and instantly noticed a crowd of people gathering around two people. A bored looking Remus was leaned against the wall just outside of the circle. She went over to him and leaned near him and whispered.

"They do this often don't they?" he nodded yes, then shortly after realized who it was and jumped back.

"H-hi. It's you, er, Emily." He said as he calmed down. He giggled at the fact that she had surprised him.

"Hello, what exactly _are_ they doing?"

"They are playing "extreme exploding snap". Sirius is losing horribly…" she laughed inwardly, Harry always won when it was Ron and him. Ron was only good at wizard chess.

"Well, I'm going to eat breakfa-, lunch." She caught herself, forgetting for a moment that it was now past breakfast.

"How late were you up? You realize it is 3 in the afternoon" Lupin asked, now turning his attention to her. She made a face.

"Are you serious?"

"No I'm Remus." She laughed and continued her question.

"No, I'm being serious." She caught a movement to her right. Sirius' head had popped up in the crowd.

"Someone say my name?" before he could start to walk over Lupin replied.

"No. Continue your gameSirius." he sat back down and was once again covered.

"Like I was saying, I'm very hungry, but the time isn't right…" she stood in thought. Lupin grabbed her arm just above the elbow.

"Come with me." He said swiftly. He led her into the hallways and they turned right, they turned left. She knew this path quite well, they were headed towards the kitchens through the 'secret' passage. He stopped short at the portrait. Remus stood in front of it and explained that they could get all the food they wanted from the kitchens. Hermione tried to look "in the dark", and she managed, barely...


	3. Chapter 3

"Where's Moony?" Sirius asked James after the crowd dispersed. There was a distinctive smell of gunpowder in the air.

"Went off somewhere obviously, the library or maybe … the kitchens?" James replied. He was lying comfortably on a large reclining chair; head tilted back, eyes closed.

"Well, let's go get him! He needs to know he owes me 10 sickles." They went out the portrait hole and went down the corridor. They could hear a faint laughter around the corner. Hermione and Remus rounded the corner.

"And then there was the time Malfoy and Snape were in potions class working on their potions and Sirius 'casually' walked by, dropped a dried newt eye in it and it turned a bright shade of fuchsia and smelled like-"

"Oi. There you too are. Remus my boy, pay up." Sirius held out his hand expectantly. Remus looked towards James. "You lost?" James gave an innocent shrug.

" Sorry Sirius, I don't carry money on my person, you'll get it later."

"So... now what?" Hermione asked.

" I have an idea..."

There were people spread out around the lake, the perimeter of it was wide and slightly covered by shade, provided by the trees. Hermione was in the back of the group as Sirius lead the way to the famous, "birch tree" he had talked about. They got there and stood in a small circle.

"What's that spell for blankets?" Sirius asked James. He took out his wands and a blanket shortly after appeared. They sat down and began asking Hermione questions.

"So how long were you at Beauxbatons? It couldn't have been long, you've

got no accent." James said. He was to her right, Remus to her left and Sirius in front of her. She stopped a moment. That was a good question, she'd better give a good answer.

"I was only at Beauxbatons for a year, because I was home schooled before that and my parents moved into the area. So I attended Beauxbatons. Then they moved again. Now Hogwarts is the closest school." She had hoped that sufficed, for she wouldn't know what to do if not.

"So what do your parents do?" Sirius asked standing up. He walked over to the lake and was putting his hand in it. He leaned back to look at her. Hermione decided not to disclose the real occupation of her parents. It might be useful in the future that she hadn't.

"They work in a muggles department of the ministry, you know, making sure they don't find out about us." She stood up and took off her shoes. She then went over by Sirius and put her feet into water. Remus and James went over to the two.

"It's nice and warm, I wanna go swimming in it." Sirius stood by the edge, perfect for someone to push him in. James was that person. Sneaking up on Sirius he gave a slightly hard shove for Sirius had braced himself just in time to try and keep his balance. The two boys tumbled unto the ground. Hermione just started laughing as Remus had a small frown on his face. Although once Hermione was laughing, he let a small smile out. Sirius stood up and pushed James toward the lake, however James held onto Sirius' arms and they both went down. James sat up and shook the water from his hair which made it even messier then usual. He looked like he had just come off a broom from playing Quidditch in a rain storm and his once maroon sweater was now a dark, almost brown shade. Sirius rose out of the water a few feet away from James, out of arms reach but not necessarily out of harms way… James cupped his hands and started splashing him mercilessly.

"My once sapphire sweater is now… midnight blue!!!!! You've ruined me James!"

He fell down into the water and started kicking with his feet as if having a fit, causing the water to splash both James, Hermione, and Remus. Remus made a slightly annoyed face and started drying his glasses off. It was coated in little droplets that would obviously make it hard to read with.

"Sirius, you're acting like a child. You don't need to get us wet in the process." Remus stated. Sirius flashed him a wicked grin before grabbing him about the waist and yanked, taking an unwilling Remus in with him.

"Sirius! Don't you da-"He was cut off as they both fell into the water. Meanwhile James had snuck up on Hermione who was distracted by this whole scene. She was suddenly being maneuvered into the water. Her fighting was futile and a few moments later she was in the warm (Sirius was right) water of the lake. People were staring but then again considering who it was, that wasn't exactly new or unexpected. Some laughed. Others moved farther away, afraid of getting wet. Hermione was positively soaked. Her poncho dripped like mad and a screen of brown hair covered her face almost completely. She gave a just as soaked James a withering glare then slowly took her poncho off in an angered mannered. Then, Hermione threw the poncho at James as payback. It landed on his head with a loud plop and he was momentarily blinded. He pulled it down a bit and peeked out with one eye showing. The picture that met his eye was a smiling Hermione, not in the least bit mad.

"You faker!" Yelled Sirius, laughing as Remus was splashing him in the face.

A little bit later, after they had all decided it was about time to stop, each was dripping wet as they got out of the lake, more so, if possible, than before. Although the water was a nice neutral temperature, because it was a bit later in the day it was freezing (to them at least).

"I have another idea." Sirius said between the fake clatter of his teeth. With a little swish of his wand, he dried himself off, instantly nice and dry.

"So he is smart! Didn't know he had it in him." James joked because the idea obviously hadn't occurred to anyone else. Each followed suit and were soon as dry and warm as possible. All were sitting on the blanket, except Sirius, who was standing.

"One might wonder, what would happen if that spell were to be used numerous times at once, on the same person..." Remus pondered rather loudly, casting a glance at Sirius. Sirius, now sitting up on the blanket, with everyone else rubbed his skin appreciatively, contemplating the consequences of such a thing.

Hermione imagined what he would look like if he had a really bad sunburn on most parts of his body and the image was comical, clashing horribly with his black hair, standing out even more. This made her smile. The sky, she realized was an amazing shade of darker blue as it was getting later in the day. The stars weren't out yet because it wasn't that late and she could still see the clouds. It all made for a just nice, pleasant site. To get a better look, she lay down. The boys, who were talking about other interesting spells noticed but continued their conversation. Hermione was only half heartedly listening. She was thinking about her whole situation in general. She knew Sirius was an amazing person in his teens, but to experience it first hand. That was different. There was an almost, colossal, difference between here and in the future. To think, all that would be changed by a fluttering black veil in an obscure department in the ministry of magic. By that time he would have been in hiding for a year in his old family house that he had never wanted to return to. She didn't want to dwell on it but that's what she kept coming back to. Soon enough she had completely zoned out, her mind in the realm of possibility.

"Emily. Emily! Emiiiily." Suddenly she realized that they were talking to her.

" Oh. Sorry... What is it?" She asked regaining composure.

" You do that a lot, don't you Emily?" Remus was smiling.

"Lately, yes. I suppose there's just a lot to think about."

"I know. James lost at exploding snap and now I owe Sirius 10 sickles." Remus said.

"I have failed you, my friend." James hung his head in mock shame.

"Yes, because you _never_ lose..." Sirius said.

"ANYWAYS, Emily, a knut for your thoughts?" Remus asked, flipping a small sickle over the Hermione, knowing that Sirius was watching.

"I don't carry money on my person. Liar." Sirius repeated Remus's earlier statement. However, Hermione was not paying attention to the 'mad' Sirius. Her eyes were fixed on Remus's. Good question, she thought, and what would be her answer?

" Maybe I'll tell you sometime."


	4. Chapter 4

Granted, it was early, but Hermione still needed to get her school books. In the back of her mind there was a small problem arising. Who was she going to sit with? There was always the boys but...she thought she should be meeting new people. They were literally the only people she knew at Hogwarts as of this moment. She could skip breakfast... for a day. Her stomach rumbled slightly. The morning was cold and dense with a thick white fog. She stopped for a moment and gazed at the grounds that were so familiar to her. She recalled many mornings such as this one.

Hermione made way her way to the library at a normal pace, not too fast but not taking her time either. For some reason she expected see a different librarian but no it was the same Madame Pince, with slightly longer, more colored hair. She was about to greet her pleasantly for Hermione had come to somewhat of friends wit Madame Pince because of all the time she spent in the library but stopped, realizing her mistake. Madame Pince had yet to meet her so it was rather shocking as you can imagine when an annoyed voice came from somewhere near by.

"Would you be an Emily Chanlier?" Madam Pince said the name as if reading from a list of many, which, as she glanced up, Hermione saw that she actually was. The books were collected in short order and as she pushed the door open Madame Pince reminded her that the books were only temporary and that she would have to soon buy her own. Hermione nodded and left. Well, at least it seemed like short order. Apparently, she discovered after glancing at a large maple grandfather clock that she had taken nearly an hour. She started walking down the hall quickly, at a loss of what to do for the moment. No breakfast. Already got the books. It would suffice to say that her attention was turned else where. She almost ran straight into the people that she had been secretly avoiding.

"So what classes do you have for this week?" asked Remus. The three boys looked over her shoulder at her schedule.

**Monday**

Transfiguration

Charms

Potions

Defense Against The Dark Arts

**Tuesday**

History of Magic

Potions (double)

Transfiguration

**Wednesday**

Charms

Defense Against The Dark Arts

LUNCH

Transfiguration

History of Magic

**Thursday**

Charms (double)

LUNCH

Free Period

History of Magic

**Friday**

No school due to wizarding holiday

Her first class was transfiguration which she had with Sirius, next was charms which she had with everyone, then she had Potions with Remus. Last she had Defense Against Dark Arts with James. She had a feeling that Dumbledore had something to do with it but it was only a suspicion.

"Class, today we are going to learn how to transfigure a cloak into a dagger." A much younger but not much different McGonagall explained. Sirius sat beside her listening on with interest. It really was an interesting lesson considering the precise wand movements involved. Hermione didn't exactly have it mastered but she had a pretty good idea of what to do. Her homework was to practice and write and essay which would be quite simple. The rest of the class groaned slightly at the required length but she was ready. Sirius was actually very good at this spell and almost mastered it. She didn't pay as much attention as she probably should have but... it was fun and she still managed to get all the notes. Charms. A single word couldn't describe how much she enjoyed that class. Charms was one of her least favorite subjects but being surrounded by everyone in such good cheer made it one of the best lessons she'd had for a while. Hermione was reluctant to admit it but it was a nice feeling, knowing that for the moment there was no constantly lurking threat, no Voldemort, no fights between Harry and Ron, and no prophetic dreams of death and injury from Harry that set her on edge and made her fear for his life every time. Harry was an exceptional person and so was Ron, they're her best friends but it was just so nice. In the back of her mind she knew that Voldemort was out there and a few years James Potter would be dead, in about 16 years Sirius Black would be dead, and Remus Lupin would be an underfed were-wolf with no job, no matter how brilliant his mind. All these thoughts, these facts that were to happen were in the deepest darkest corner of her mind. She was content knowing that for a time they were happy. All three were such good friends and she was welcomed into the group so easily. Charms was a relatively simple class so she didn't have much of a problem adapting although it was NEWT year the teachers were really cracking down. In a few days, she guessed, it would be a lot worse then OWLS. Hermione could not recall one Charms lesson that provided so much enjoyment. She really did put her best effort into her work though.

Some of the spells that they were learning this year Hermione had learned one year earlier, reminding her once again of the colossal time difference. As she walked towards her potions class, she vaguely wondered who her teacher would be. She sat down at an empty double table with a cauldron already set up in the middle. As she stared idly at the round edge of the pot, Remus sat down next to her. She didn't notice. He politely tapped her on her shoulder. Her head turned and she found a smiling Lupin sitting next to her.

"Oh, hey Remus. What are we doing in this class today?" the teacher walked into the class as she finished her sentence. Remus just simply pointed at him. He began writing instructions on the board. It read:

_**Partner up and make a N.E.W.T. level potion**_

_** Once you choose one, come up to me for clearance**_

_** and then begin your brewing.**_

The teacher turned around and she almost had to do a double take. It was Slughorn. She got over it pretty quickly, and turned to Remus.

"What would you like to do? We have a little over a month so our options are wide."

"Well let's find a book and maybe we'll be "inspired"." They went over to a large miss-shapen bookcase. Remus picked out a particularly thick book and they went back to their table. Remus was idly flipping through the pages when he came to the Polyjuice potion. Hermione agreed and they went to the store cupboard. They began the potion and left together to dinner.

"Well today went by fast, maybe considering it was my first day here though." Hermione began a small conversation with Remus as they waited for the others to get there. Moments later they came through the hall. A thought suddenly struck her. Where was Peter? That rat bastard! She thought to herself secondly. Should she ask? How about in a secret way? As they sat down with her and Remus She asked a simple and completely not obvious question.

"Do you guys have any other friends? Like any regulars?" They looked at her for a moment, it was a random question.

"Yeah, our friend Peter. He was taunting a Snapper Dragon and well, it got mad and bit him. He's been in Saint Mungo's for about a week, he's still got at least a month to go. They won't release him until he is completely drained of the venom. He's okay, just restrained at the moment." Sirius answered. Hermione was trying very hard not to laugh out loud at this. He deserved worst is the only thought she could think at the moment. They idly chatted through dinner and were one of the last people to leave the hall.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh!" Hermione gasped. She had successfully transformed the cloak into a dagger but…. unfortunately the dagger was rather sharp. Blood ran down her arm in a think stream. Hermione was nonplussed, on the other hand, the same could not be said for Sirius. Frantic cries of 'Ah! Hermione!' could be heard as he searched for a make-shift bandage.

"Magic?" She suggested with an almost teasing expression.

"Right. I knew that…" replied Sirius. He waved his wand a bit and then finally conceded;

"I missed that lesson."

"Here, let me." Hermione smiled at him and began to wave her wand. With a sharp intake of breath as her hand moved in a circular motion she conjured up a bandage.

"I'll take that." He took the bandage from her and carefully began to rap it around her hand.

"Sorry 'bout that. If you're ever seriously injured then I don't think I would be very much help." Sirius apologized.

"No I'm the one who should be apologizing. It was my fault in the first place."

Sirius did not know how to reply to this so he did what he did best.

"Would you like me to kiss and make it better?" He asked in rather flamboyant manner.

"Oh, Sirius! Please do!" She said with almost as much dramatics as her friend. Her eyes widened just a bit as he actually did. Sirius took her hand in his as if to propose and planted a theatrical kiss upon the bandage. They smiled at each other briefly and decided to take a break from their practice. As they walked together with no particular destination Sirius made a proposition.

"How about we go over to Madam Pomfrey's and have her fix up your hand." He said as he turned her around so they would be walking in the right direction.

"Sure. Sounds like a plan." she said as she glanced at the pictures that followed their movement down the hallway.

"Oh my! What ever happened to you dear?" Madame Pomfrey shrieked, her hands subtly flailing in the air over her head.

"Well you see..." Sirius began-

"We were practicing transfiguration when-"Hermione finished.

"I see." Madam Pomfrey interrupted, showing her over to one of the beds.

After having her hand dressed, her and Sirius sat on the bed and started a conversation. It was interrupted by hysterical crying. Sirius looked up with a quirked brow, as did Hermione. Madame Pomfrey was desperately trying to get the girl's story straight. All Hermione heard were fragments, it was one of her roommates. Candis' story vaguely went along the lines of; Jeremy, in the courtyard, such a forceful boyfriend, her refusal, his violent temper. She had a bruised arm and the left side of her face fiercely red. Hermione got up so fast Sirius didn't even register it at first; she was halfway out the door before he went after her. Even in blind anger she had no problem finding the wretch. Just follow the lines of whispering students. In no time at all she found herself in the courtyard where Jeremy, a rather attractive blonde, (remind you of anyone?) stood in a group with his fellow Ravenclaw buddies. Hermione walked over to the small group.

"Jeremy?" she inquired. Candis seemed like a nice a girl, and Hermione wondered how she had gotten herself tangled up with someone like him when there was so many others out there... Cockily, he raised an eyebrow and said,

"Yes?"

"How dare you."

"How dare I what?"

Hermione's breaths came in puffs of barely controlled anger.

"You don't even know? You don't even know!" She was shouting now. His group had slowly dissipated into a large surrounding group.

Meanwhile, Sirius chased after her, on his way, running into James and Remus. Without feeling the need to inform them of the situation (he didn't even know what was going on) he just grabbed their arms, relaying the urgency.

"No I don't know what I 'did.' What the hell is your problem?" Jeremy shouted back.

"My problem? It's very much your problem. How could you do such a thing to your girl friend? She doesn't deserve that!"

"How do you know? Who are you to preach to me about my relationship? It was her fault in the first place. Little bitch deserved it."

The words, 'little bitch', really set Hermione off. She began to say something else when his hand raised,

"Shut up!"

and he slapped her hard across the face. It hurt but not as much as she was going to make him hurt.

"Slap two girls in one day? Don't you have anything better to do?" With as much force as she could muster, she hit him twice in the stomach. He looked like he was going to be sick, but that was the point.

That was when Sirius, James, and Remus arrived. For a moment they just stood there, taking in the scene. Enraged, Jeremy raised his fist. Hermione had moved aside and caught the boy's wrist, avoiding the punch. He went to strike again but by that time James had already started moving.

"Hey!" he called, "If you're going to punch someone. Make it me."

James punched him once and he staggered back a few steps, nose bleeding. Before Jeremy had time to properly react, James punched him again, this time knocking him out.

Silence.

James and Hermione exchanged a glance.

Then,

"Nice hit James!" Sirius announced, rather loudly, from the crowd. The crowd dispersed before any faculty could arrive. Looking around, they realized that that might be a good idea, although they would most likely get busted anyway.

While in the hall, James stopped.

"Are you okay Emily?" he touched her now red cheek with a worried expression.

"Gentlemen!" McGonagall said sternly as she approached them. "And Emily..."

A few moments later they found themselves in her office.

"Detention!" Sirius blanched. "The bloke hit her! Emily is innocent."

Hermione put her hand on his knee and under her breath called for him to calm down.

"It doesn't matter Mr. Black. You, of all people should know the school policy on violence. All participating parties must receive proper punishment." Mrs. McGonagall stated, not too thrilled herself.

"But-"he protested.

"But, I will say this. I take no pleasure punishing the victim." She looked at them squarely and continued." Miss Chanlier, Mr. Potter, Detention during your free period tomorrow. "

As they walked away from McGonagall's office Sirius said,

"Well look on the bright side! It could be much worse."

"Sirius." Remus said his name.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

The way to dinner remained quiet, but that was okay. Hermione didn't mind.

Hermione was glad that during her salmon and wild rice dinner, Candis came by.

Hermione gave a small gasp as two slim arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Emily" Candis cried. She sat down next to Hermione after she gave her another gracious hug.

"I feel so bad that you got hit for sticking up for me. Although I'm glad he got hit."

They shared a laugh.

"Yeah, it wasn't a problem, it felt good to scream at him. Why were you dating him in the first place?" Hermione had now turned, leaving her dinner half-eaten.

"He was cute, and he _was_ nice. Guess I was wrong. You know what? You're new, but I'm glad you stuck up for me. Maybe we can get to be good friends?" Hermione smiled at this and agreed. After a while Candis was called back by her friends, leaving Hermione happy and content.

"Look. Emily has made a new friend." Remus whispered in James' ear. Remus and James continued whispering for a few more seconds until Hermione looked over. Sirius stared at her, making strange faces, James put on an angelically innocent face as if to say, 'who, me?', and Remus just smiled. All together it was a nice moment, the kind of moment where nothing was going wrong and it was just nice to be friends. She missed Harry and Ron and wondered what they would be doing at this moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Great shrills of laughter could be heard in the already noisy din of a Great Hall as one of the Slytherins reenacted their last match with Hufflepuff (even though they lost). Sirius, James, Remus, and Hermione all sat at the end of the table discussing in further depth what a Mormon was. Remus, who was a bit more knowledgeable on the subject than his two companions just smiled and laughed at various jokes or comments.

"Drat!" She said, checking her bewitched watch for the time.

"What is it Emily?" Remus asked, attempting to be heard over all the noise.

"Lunch is almost over." The others gave slightly confused looks and she gave James an imploring look. 'Oh' he mouthed. In a falsely cheery voice she said, "Detention!" and gave them a thumbs up.

James and Hermione got up from their seats at the table and began walking to McGonagall's. As they were in the hall the bell rang and they could hear the students coming through the doors. She and James continued to talk about random things, not really staying on a certain topic. Quidditch came up though, seeing as he had to start practices next week for the upcoming game. It was a nice moment really, one that she might have with Harry and Ron.

"So since Hufflepuff, won against Slytherin, and Ravenclaw tends to win against Hufflepuff, we're probably going to be playing them next weekend." James informed Hermione as they passed the library on their way to McGonagall. Lilly, who had left lunch early to get a book from the library looked up curiously as the two walked by, unnoticing. "Was that… James?"

When they arrived at McGonagall's they were both dreading a boring hour detention, but smiling all the same. James held open the door for her.

"Ladies first..." he joked. She smiled at him and went in. They sat down in one of the first few desks. McGonagall raised her wand over their desk as she said, "Today, for detention, you will be given various items to transfigure into what you will." James and Hermione just looked at each other because they both knew that was hardly a punishment. The 'various objects' appeared on the desk in from of them. Amongst these were; a goblet, a wizards chess piece, a small tarnished pocket watch that ticked at irregular intervals, a quill, a lock of hair that they both regarded questioningly, and random other items that appeared to have been taken from a particularly old cupboard. Hermione sat for a moment, pondering, as did James. She picked up one of the smaller items and transfigured it into a regular, white piece of muggle paper. Then, she folded it into a small plane and sent it flying around the wizard's chess piece that attempted to poke at it fruitlessly. James took another one of the objects and changed it into an even bigger piece of paper which he then made into a plane. The plane flew at Hermione's and they both crashed, spiraling downward. Soon enough there was a little war going on between them as to who could transfigure the item into something that could beat the others. Both, being skilled at transfiguration had a fun time with it, being regularly challenged.

From the broken pocket watch, James had a discolored snitch going around the room. Hermione had a tiny hippogriff (how she had managed that one he had no clue) bewitched to fly after in pursuit. The snitch had an oddly twitching wing, so it did not fly as fast as usual but it was still zooming about. The hippogriff caught it slightly and accidentally sent it flying for the door. This was just one of the many small battles going on in the vicinity and Hermione and James didn't really notice. The goblet and a quill were dancing a jazz piece now and held their attention.

"Are you _trying_ to kill me?" A voice came from the door.

Remus, grasping the twitching snitch in his hand stood with Sirius in the doorway.

"Sorry, it was James fault, I swear." Hermione said sarcastically, glancing at James. James gave an apologetic shrug. The two new arrivals shook their heads dismally at the miniature war taking place in the room, disappointed that they had missed all the fun. Meanwhile, the hippogriff had started pecking at Remus's hand that held the snitch so he let it go.

"We're here to pick up our friends." Sirius suddenly addressed McGonagall who had come out of her office to see what the commotion (commotion being exclamations, miniature explosions, and screeches) was about. Sirius gave that trademark smile that usually kept him out of the most serious trouble and McGonagall said,

"Take a seat Mr. Black if you're going to be in here." Remus and Sirius sat at the desk directly in front of where Hermione and James were sitting, turning around to talk to them. Remus, looking at the odd assortment of items asked,

"So, what exactly did you two have to do?" Hermione and James began to explain simultaneously then stopped, looked at each other and laughed.

"Well she gave us a few things and we just had to transfigure them into something." Hermione began.

"Wow, McGonagall is hardcore." Sirius referred to the 'hefty' punishment, attempting to keep a straight face. Everyone laughed at this. James got up and grabbed the snitch. The hippogriff had finally tired out and was just sitting on the table, resting. Sirius began to absentmindedly pet the creature, fiddling with its feathers. Hermione checked her watch; ten minutes left, and began to ask about the quidditch scores so far.

"Okay," She began, getting the boys attention. James had just sat down and was playing with the snitch.

"So who has the most, ah, "points" now?"

"Do you mean House Points?" asked Remus.

"Yeah for quidditch too..."

"How'd that come up?" Remus asked in a light tone.

"I started to tell her about my practices coming up next week." James answered, his eyes down as he was messing with the snitch, his wand was out now.

"Oh well, Slytherin had the lead, but they just lost to Hufflepuff, so it's a tie between the other three houses, us, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. These next two games will decide who has the house cup this year." By then McGonagall had come out and was in the doorway of her office.

"I can all but hope that this year, it'll be in my office, so I hope you'll be training hard James."

"Yup." James called out, the snitch still occupying him.

"Well, you can go now, you have a few minutes before you're last class." She dismissed them with a wave of her hand. It may have seemed like an act of kindness on her part, letting them go a few minutes early, but she may have just been trying to "inspire" James to do well next game. Hermione felt a vague sense of déjà vu, talking about quidditch and the sort. She strongly wanted to know how Harry and Ron were doing. Suddenly James called out,

"Look! I fixed its wing, AND I put my name in it. Neat, huh?" He looked triumphant as he held it out between his fingers.

"Well done mate." Congratulated Sirius. Hermione and Remus applauded James, as did Sirius.

After wandering around for the few remaining minutes, the bell rang which meant they had to go to their next class. Hermione had History of Magic with no one that she knew in particular. Although she was certain Neville's mom was at her far right. Unsurprisingly, Professor Binns was still teaching and he was still a ghost... As usual Hermione scribbled down notes as Professor Binns lectured on. It was really quite interesting knowing that the 'face' on the moon was a prank, and not just unique crater markings.. A few hundred years ago a group of wayward witches thought it would be hilarious to put a face on it and scare the muggles. The ministry since, hadn't been able to remove it and eventually just stopped trying. The curriculum, she imagined, hadn't changed in at least a hundred years considering the class was at the almost exact point from when she left. She silently laughed at this. At least she knew she wasn't missing anything. Scratch that, she was missing something huge. Snape sat directly in front of her. She quickly ducked her head, pretending to be immersed in notes. What am I doing? She asked herself. It's not like he'll know me. As long as I don't do anything to catch his attention I should be fine... Hermione hoped she could keep this up throughout her remaining time there.


	7. Chapter 7

I realized that in our 5 th chapter, Sirius calls Hermione, well Hermione... it's hard to switch in and out of Hermione and Emily, and we were in a rush to get that chapter up, so same goes for this one, so if you see any mistakes, please tell us in a reply... thank you guys for reading, we'll try to get the next one up soon, wait till you see how we end this one: )

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Emily." Sirius told Hermione on their way to dinner. Not quite, but close, Hermione thought as they sat down in between James and Remus.

"Technically she did... Prof. Binns." Remus joked. Everyone laughed. James started formulating plans for the next days trip to Hogsmeade.

"Before you start," Hermione said, interrupting him," I need to go shopping for clothes, so why don't I meet you guys somewhere or something."

"We could all go the Three Broomsticks, then we separate and go to our 'respected' stores, then meet up again somewhere..." suggested James.

"Sounds good"

Hermione sat herself between James and Sirius, across from Remus in some sort of wonky circle. They had ordered, what else, three butterbeers and were talking casually as they waited for the drinks.

" I need more red ink." Sirius stated.

" Why? 'Cause you used it on all those self corrections?" Remus joked. They all laughed.

"Yeah I need blue ink anyways, we should go to Flourish and Blotts while Hermione gets her clothes." James suggested. At that moment the drinks arrived. They sat and talked, draining their bottles. A cold draft floated over Hermione's un-gloved hands, she turned her head and watched as Lucius and Rodolphus walked in and found a seat just barely in their sight. She heard a sharp breath that resembled a hiss issue from James. Sirius said," Oh jeez, look the scum of the earth."

"You mean future Death Eaters, or would you prefer Death Eaters in the making?" Remus said bitterly. Hermione turned to face them. She gave her best, puzzled look.

"They uh, are bad people? I don't think that's a good description. Moony?" Sirius looked over at Remus shrugging.

"They reason that they should be worshipped and placed high above all human being because they are wizards and purebloods. All muggle should be enslaved or killed, all muggle born wizards made fun of... all sorts of horrible logic runs through their minds. They discriminate against half-breeds. They are very narrow-minded people." Lupin's splendid explanation summed up juts about everything.

"Not to mention they all probably sport a Dark Mark" added James. Hermione gave a small horrified look at this 'new' information. Jeez, she could win an award for all the acting she was doing lately...

Hermione waved them goodbye and headed towards the clothing stores at the end of Hogsmeade. She didn't walk too far before finding a general clothes store. She felt for the coin purse Dumbledore gave her. It was kinda hefty she thought guiltily. So much money being spent on her. She walked up and opened the door... and her vision went red.

"Sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." a red-hared girl said as she picked up her bag. She straightened and looked into Hermione's eyes. It was like looking into Harry's eyes. Deep green emerald orbs stared at her apologetically. Lily Evans stood in front of her, apologizing for bumping into her. She was speechless for a moment, then realized she may have looked mad to Lily, standing there looking so idiotic. She attempted to collect her thoughts.

"It's fine. I, uh, really wasn't paying much attention either." she finished lamely. Lily nodded in agreement and walked past her. Turning back, she bid her a farewell and a good day. Hermione walked in and went towards the girls section.

Hermione held the deep purple shirt up to herself and turned to look In the mirror. She always liked dark colors on her, rich, dark colors that is. She had a red and yellow version of the shirt in stow, and now it seemed there would be a purple one too. She hadn't found any jeans she liked in particular here, but the shirts were amazing. Most were either all one color or had intricate swirls or some interesting artwork on them. She decided to get a few t-shirts, along with the tank tops and long sleeve shirts she had gathered. She felt she was ready now to head on to a different shop. She paid for her items and took two bags to the next shop. Sneakers became her mantra after the fourth store. All she saw were sandals and heels. Where were all the comfy shoes! At least she had found a few good pairs of jeans. As she walked towards the fifth store she caught sight of the boys.

"Oi! We were starting to get bored so we came to you." called Sirius. They took her bags from her (Hermione insisted on keeping the one with the bras and panties) and they entered the store.

Hermione made a beeline towards the shoes in the back. Along the way James had pointed something out to Sirius and they had ventured off on their own, leaving Remus and Hermione to seek out decent shoes.

"I think it'd be wise to invest in some flamingo pink stilettos." Remus said as he held up the very pair he was describing. Hermione's eye went wide, then she noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes and they started to laugh. Putting them down he grabbed a pair of dark grey sneakers.

"Really, though, I think these would work. Very...'universal'." he put them aside and picked up dark green ones." Also, depending on your given allowance, I think you should get these, a nice colored pair." he held up dark green shoes with cream laces. Hermione pondered them and turned them over in her hands. She heard a very audible intake ( if Remus was a girl it'd be a gasp) from Remus and she looked up. Sirius walked over to them with a red cocktail dress over his sweater and pants. James' sporting a twin but in blue, stood next to him, leaning dramatically to the left.

"What's shaken?" James said in what Hermione thought to be his 'seductive' voice.

Hermione couldn't breathe. her ribs hurt and her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Somewhere in the back of her head she registered that her knees had hit the ground.

Remus was the first to recover.

"Jeez James... You are _flaming_!" he responded hoarsely.

"What about me?" Sirius blew him a kiss.

"Please guys. Don't get me kicked out, I just started to find shoes I want." Hermione pleaded after she caught her breath. The two boys stripped of the dresses easily and placed them on the nearest clothes rack. Remus gave an approving nod. James sat on the floor near Remus and Sirius leaned against the mirror behind Hermione.

" What about some black shoes?" James said, holding a pair to her.

"Maybe a dark blue?" Sirius suggested. Soon Hermione was looking at a pile of shoes and some decent comfy sandals. She had to admit, for guys, they knew shoes pretty well. In the end she had four pairs of shoes. The reasoning in her head was gawking at the amount of shoes she had now and the money she was spending. In her arms were three pairs of sneakers, a black pair, a blue pair, and the greens ones Remus showed her. Accompanying those was a pair of brown flat sandals, not too strappy either. As she walked to the counter she saw other isles of interest, so she asked the salesclerk to hold them for her while she browsed the store. There was a display table with watches and jewelry on it. She looked them over and grabbed a few chameleon studded earrings, they would change to match what color she was wearing. Also grabbed were a few simple leather or chain necklaces with colorful stones on them. She passed the hygienic care section, she already had brushed for both tooth and hair, along with shampoo and whatnot. As she walked Sirius engaged the other two into a conversation over quidditch and other things that were brought up. They were entertaining themselves as the 'woman' shopped. She laughed lightly at this and strode down the used book isle. She saw tons of weird titles she didn't recognize. That's what I get for being muggle born, she thought idly . Distantly she could hear the woman at the register yelling at some kids running by her store.

"What do you think Emily?" Sirius asked her. Hermione turned, a confused look on her face.

"Ah, I have a feeling you weren't listening. Never mind then." he turned back to their discussion. She let her eyes slide over the different covers. some were leather, others resembled cardboard. One looked like it was written in Hebrew. Hermione laughed at a cover that had a boy in a wizard hat sitting on a donkey. Her laugh seemed loud, but then she listened and realized it was oddly quiet. The boys had stopped talking. Outside someone was screaming. Hermione looked out the window and saw odd orange light. She turned an looked at the boys questionably, they shrugged.

"Who's screaming? Don't they know there's a town around them?" James asked.

"Yeah what's that weird light too." Sirius added. Everyone looked out the window again.

Horrified, Hermione realized what was causing the light. Fire. Hogsmeade was under attack.


End file.
